Understanding the life cycles of insects and weeds and learning how to identify them is important in the protection of plants from disease and insect and the spread of weed species.

This course shows you how to identify diseases, insects and weeds, understand their life-cycles and select and use appropriate treatments. Control techniques are covered in detail using chemical and biological solutions along with safety procedures and practices.

The first step in knowing how to control a pest, disease or weed is to be able to identify it AND the plant which it is affecting accurately.

• If you get the identification wrong, the method of control is likely to be inappropriate.
• Identification in fact is the foundation of effective problem control.

This course provides a unique and systematic approach to plant protection, drawing on input from our horticultural experts in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. It is unlike other plant protection courses in terms of its international approach. This allows you to benefit from a more diverse range of experts (and their diverse experiences); something that is not often found in other schools.

Course Structure

1. Introduction - scientific names, terms, diagnosing problems.
2. Control Techniques - natural & chemical.
3. Chemicals - characteristics.
4. Identifying Diseases - symptoms, fungi and viruses, and other pathogens.
5. Disease Control - life cycle of fungi.
6. Insect Classification and biology.
7. Insect Control - how to control pests.
8. Other Pests - nematodes, snails, millipedes.
9. Weed Identification and chemical control.
10. Non-chemical Weed Control.

• Identify the broad category which a plant health problem belongs to.
• Explain a range of methods for controlling plant problems.
• Select appropriate chemical pesticides for different problems.
• Identify the symptoms of different plant diseases, including most common and some uncommon problems, in your locality.
• Develop procedures to control specific plant diseases.
• Identify different insects, including significant taxonomic orders, common pest species, and some less common pest species
• Determine appropriate methods to control different types of insects.
• Identify different non-insect pests found in the learner's locality.
• Determine appropriate control methods for different non-insect pests.
• Identify different non-insect pests found in the learner's locality.
• Determine appropriate control methods for different non-insect pests.
• Manage the control of different types of weed problems.

LEARN TO DIAGNOSE PLANT PROBLEMS

Problems can be looked at as being in one of three possible categories:

1. NUTRITIONAL -The plant has either too little or too much of one or several particular nutrients available to it.

2. ENVIRONMENTAL -The environmental conditions are not suitable e.g. heavy rain, flooding, frost, snow, hail, sunlight, etc.

3. PATHOLOGICAL -One or several organisms are interfering with the health of the plant (such organisms are called "pathogens").

It requires a great deal of knowledge and expertise to be able to diagnose plant troubles. Do not expect to develop such ability quickly.

The first and perhaps most important skill to develop is an ability to inspect a plant and look for the tell tale symptoms which can provide an indication of what might be wrong.

The table below provides a systematic approach to inspecting plants which you suspect, (or know) might be unhealthy. You should look at each of the "items" one at a time, following the guide given by the "method of inspection" column.

 

ITEM	METHOD OF INSPECTION	WHAT TO LOOK FOR
LEAVES	View old and young leaves -both and underneath above	Burning Discolouration Holes Leaf drop Insects -live or dead
STEMS	View top to bottom, push foliage out of the way. Binoculars for tall plants.	Stem rot Spots or other markings. Suckering Side shoots Thin or thick stems.
GROWTH HABIT	Stand back and view, look at where strong growth is and direction of buds	Is it balanced Appropriate or type of plant (bushy for shrub...strong terminal growth for tree..etc) Growth rate
SOIL	Feel surface of soil, push finger 2-4cm below surface Remove plant from pot	Moisture/dryness Hardness, root density, Burrows Wet/dry spots
ROOTS	View holes at bottom of pot, Remove plant from container, View surface of soil.	Root tip burn, Rotting, Distribution of roots -even? Discolouration of Growing tips

 

TELL-TALE SYMPTOMS

1. Wilting

a/ Insufficient water in the soil

b/ Leaves drying out faster than the water can be taken up (too hot)

c/ Something stopping water going up the stem (eg: borer, disease, etc. in lower part of plant) TAKE

A CLOSER LOOK!

2. Yellow Leaves

*IF OLDER LEAVES

a/ Lack of Nitrogen (feed with a nitrogen fertilizer)

b/ Lack of Nitrogen caused by wet soil - wet soil stops nitrogen being taken into the plant (improve drainage or cut watering).

c/ Chemical damage

d/ Soil very dry

*IF YOUNGER LEAVES

a/ Iron deficiency

b/ Other nutrient deficiency

c/ Chemical damage

3. Look to see if damage is distributed evenly over plant.

• On one side only
• On the top only
• On the most exposed parts

-IS THERE A PATTERN?

4. Look to see if damage has only just happened....or is past?

• The appearance of the growing tips tells you the current condition.
• Young shoots indicate a healthy plant overcoming past problems.
• Excessive side shoots lower down indicates disruption of hormone flow in the plant, or some other problem in the upper parts of the plant.

STUDENT COMMENT:

This is the first correspondence course I have done and I have thoroughly enjoyed it and I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU. I appreciate everyone's effort in such a professionally-run organisation with seamless administration. The office staff's happy can-do attitude, their fast responses to all queries, tutor Shane Gould's quick turnaround in assignment marking and his supportive and motivational feedback and last but not least, the sound subject guides. Most importantly I hope my thanks and appreciation can be communicated to all the staff who have supported me along the way of my learning! I work full time and study on the weekend but really don't stop thinking about what gardening solution I need in order to answer my assignments every day of the week. Thank you for such a great learning experience and I can't wait to start the second half of my course! Skye

Yes, the course was a very valuable learning experience for me. As a student who studied General Agriculture there was only so much that was taught in relation to plant protection . At present I work with the Crop protection unit and a lot had to be learnt on the job but while doing this course I gain more insights into what I have been doing at work and what I should be doing. The course has actually helped me appreciate my role as an officer attached to Crop protection and Quarantine a whole lot more.

Natisha, Plant Protection Student.

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